The Battle
' |image= |series= |production=40271-110 |producer(s)= |story=Larry Forrester |script=Herbert Wright |director=Rob Bowman |imdbref=tt0708784 |guests=Frank Corsentino as Bok, Doug Warhit as Kazago, Robert Towers as Rata |previous_production=Justice |next_production=Hide and Q |episode=TNG A09 |airdate=14 November 1987 |previous_release=Justice |next_release=Hide and Q |story_date(s)=Stardate 41723.9 |previous_story=Justice |next_story=Hide and Q }} =Summary= The Enterprise meets with a Ferengi vessel whose captain, DaiMon Bok, requests a meeting with Captain Picard. Picard meanwhile is suffering from persistent headaches and seeks the help of Doctor Beverly Crusher. She scans Picard, but can not find what is causing them. Meanwhile, on the bridge, Wesley Crusher reports that a second vessel is approaching. Lt. Geordi La Forge identifies it as a Federation Constellation-class starship. Bok and his first officer Kazagotransport to the bridge of the Enterprise. He announces that the newly arrived ship is a gift for "the hero of Maxia." After Picard fails to get the reference, Data reminds him that nine years ago, at Maxia, he was attacked by an unidentified aggressor which he destroyed. Bok angrily shouts that ship in question was Ferengi. The ship is identified as the U.S.S. Stargazer, Picard's former command. Bok explains that he found the ship as a derelict and offers it to Picard for free. Picard explains that at Maxia, the Stargazer was heavily damaged before Picard executed an action which would come to be known as the "Picard Maneuver". Using the warp drive, Picard ordered a short warp jump directly resulting in the enemy vessel's light speed based sensors briefly detecting the ship in two places at once and allowing Picard to win the battle. Due to the damage, the crew of the Stargazer abandoned ship after the battle. Picard and an away team board the Stargazer, and he orders a chest of his belongings to be sent to the Enterprise. Hidden in the chest is an orb, which glows brighter as Bok activates it, causing Picard to be hit by a wave of pain. Dr. Crusher orders him back to the Enterprise. Data meanwhile finds a discrepancy in the Stargazer's logs stating that the Ferengi were attacked under a flag of truce. Upon further investigation, Data and La Forge report to Commander William Riker that the logs were certainly faked. Dr. Crusher and Counselor Deanna Troi discuss the Captain, and Wesley shows them some unusual activity from the Ferengi ship. They head to inform Riker to alert him to the signals, who is informed by the Enterprise computer that Picard has transported to the Stargazer. Picard finds Bok waiting for him, who has another orb. Bok explains that it was his son in command of the Ferengi vessel at Maxia, and he came here seeking his revenge. He places the orb down and leaves Picard on the Stargazer bridge. The orb lights up once more, leaving Picard believing he is once again at the Battle of Maxia. On the Enterprise, Lt. Tasha Yar and Lt. Worf discover the orb brought over from the Stargazer in Picard's chest. They take it to Riker as the Stargazer powers up its weapon systems. Riker hails the Ferengi vessel and speaks to Kazago, who is suspicious at the sight of the orb, which is a banned device. He promises to investigate. Riker subsequently hails the Stargazer but Picard continues to believe he is being attacked by the Enterprise. Knowing the Picard Maneuver is coming, Riker asks Data to devise a counter. Picard jumps the Stargazer to warp, executing the Picard Maneuver. Data, expecting the move uses the Enterprise's tractor beam to seize the real Stargazer and limit its field of fire. Riker tells Picard about the orb; Picard seems to understand and fires his phaser at the orb, causing it to explode. After a few moments, Picard hails the Enterprise and requests a transport. Kazago hails Riker to inform him that Bok has been relieved of command "for engaging in this unprofitable venture". =Errors and Explanations= Plot Oversights # Starfleet towing the Stargazer to the nearest starbase. As shown in The Emissary, tractor beams can operate at warp speeds, thus allowing a warp drive equipped tug to deliver the Stargazer at Faster than light speeds. # Apparently fast approval of the tow ship. Picard could have requested it as soon as the Stargazer arrived. # Riker not using precision phaser fire or the prefix code to defeat the Picard Maneuver. The Stargazer has too many phasers to disable in one go, and the Ferengi could have found a way to prevent anyone using the prefix code, possibly by incorporating a jamming signal in the communication feeds. Continuity/Production Problems # The ghost crew wearing Next Generation style uniforms, while Jack Crusher wore a movie era uniform, without undershirt - as seen in Yesterday's Enterprise - when he recorded the holomessage seen in Family. There is a six year gap between Jack recording the holomessage in 2349, and the loss of the Stargazer in 2355, which gives plenty of time for the introduction on a new style of uniform. Internet Movie Database Continuity # Just before the Ferengi beam over, the crew is shown standing at parade rest, hands clasped behind their backs. The next shot shows them from behind, with their hands at their sides. They could easily have shifted their hands during the shot change. # After the Enterprise discovers the drifting USS Stargazer, there's a space shot of the Enterprise with the Stargazer just a few hundred meters below it, but in the next space shot, the Stargazer is shown by itself with the Enterprise nowhere near it. The camera angle makes it appear the gap has increased. Incorrectly regarded as goofs # The Enterprise locks a tractor beam onto the Stargazer while its shields are up. This procedure is not uncommon. What usually disrupts a tractor beam is a remodulation of the shields, not the shields themselves. ''' Plot holes # Standard procedure for a Federation ship being abandoned is to set the auto-destruct. Picard clearly didn't do this with the Stargazer, but somehow escaped official reprimand, since he's now commanding a top-of-the-line ship. '''Either a) the auto-destruct system was rendered non operational due to battle damage, b) there were not enough senior officers available to initiate the procedure or c) a combination of the two. # DaiMon Bok transports back to his own ship from the Stargazer, but no-one can transport while the shields are up. He probably programmed the transporter systems on either the Stargazer or his own ship - or both - to transport him through the sensor windows in the shields. ' # It is stated later in the series that Betazoids cannot read the minds of species with uncommon brain anatomy, including the Ferengi. However, Deanna Troi is able to sense deception and evil intent on the part of Daimon Bok. '''She probably recognised something in the tone of Bok's voice, and the reaction to his statements from his officers. ' Movie Mistakes Corrections # Riker refers to Bok as captain, when in fact the commanding officer on a Ferengi vessel is Daimon. '''True, but Daimon is the Ferengi equivalent of a Starfleet Captain. Corrected by Cubs Fan Nit Central # Hans Thielman on Tuesday, November 24, 1998 - 12:56 pm: Other then being court-martialed, what exactly did Picard do between commanding the Stargazer and assuming command of the Enterprise D? He most likely took a period of leave, followed by a number of shore assignements. # Keith Alan Morgan on Sunday, April 18, 1999 - 08:17 am: So why would an Acting Ensign be allowed to play around with the long range sensors? Most likely part of his on-the-job training. # Bok is using a "Thought Maker" on Picard. To be effective this device must be broadcasting at or around the wavelengths of Picard's thoughts. If a machine can be developed to transmit on the frequency of thoughts it would be even easier to build a device to block the transmission of thoughts. Therefore Data will be incorrect in Night Terrors when he states that there is no known technology for blocking telepathy. The technology Bok used was illegal, so any other examples, as well as any derived technology, would have been banned. # Will on Monday, March 04, 2002 - 10:25 am: The Stargazer looks like it's been in a fight, but not enough to abandon ship. The Constellation from TOS looked much worse off. As stated elsewhere, such as entry tv3008 on the Movie Mistakes website, a lot of the minor damage was repaired by the Ferengi after they found the ship. # Rob Hoskins on Saturday, October 12, 2002 - 1:13 pm: How come the Counselor Troi can all of a sudden: "Sence considerable deception on Bok's part...and danger". Whats up with that, just before that in "The Last Outpost" Deanna couldn't get anything from the Ferengi at all. She's probably making an educated guess. # steve McKinnon (Steve) on Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - 8:31 am: Daimon Bok said he was a wealthy man, and it took his entire fortune to acquire the two mind control globes. Word of advice: save a lot more money and just buy a phaser to kill Picard. Elliminate your son's killer and keep your money - win-win situation. No it isn't - to get away with it, he would have to destroy the Enterprise, while ensuring no one can escape, so there aren't any witnesses who can report him to Starfleet for murder. =Notes= =Sources= Category:Episodes Category:The Next Generation